So I’ve watched YouTube and different beauty Vloggers for years now like Manny MUA, KathleenLights, Stephanie Nicole and my all time favorite Jaclyn Hill! (she’s my makeup mom) But recently, since I started my blog, I’ve been looking into other beauty/makeup blogs and I came across a specific one that I really enjoyed reading: “Couture Girl”

I’m a bit new to blogs, as yall know but I’ve definitely been getting more into them because I’m writing one myself. Like I said before, I have recently started following and reading a few makeup/beauty blogs but “Couture Girl” has been the most enjoyable to me for a few reasons: the look of her blog is clean and simple, Her posts are very relatable, and her content is actually interesting and easy to read.

Her blog is white. Its simple and I love it because it doesn’t distract you from the words on the page. Also, I love how her post are set up. On the home page and also when you go into the categories, the blog posts are set up the same and I really like that. Its a bit hard to explain but as soon as you see it, you’d know exactly what I’m talking about. Normally, I prefer blogs that have the whole post open because clicking it and then having to go back to see the other posts is just too much… who would like all of those extra steps? BUT with this one I really don’t mind it because I love the way its set up.

To be honest, I stayed in the beauty tab of her blog and didn’t really read any of the fashion or lifestyle but the beauty was all very relatable stuff. She talked about fairly new products like the Kylie Jenner LipKits and some Kat Von D products. Both post were basically reviews and were both pretty helpful.

I’m a HUGE fan of false lashes. I’ve been wearing falsies for about two years now and I love them so much because you don’t have to worry about coats and coats and coats of mascara and they always look perfect. Also, not all of us gals are blessed with long, full lashes. I actually started wearing falsies because I burned mine off while lighting a candle (long story for another time). Whatever your reason for wearing falsies, here are a few of my (very affordable) favorites.

I generally wear falsies every day, even on my “no makeup” makeup days. My favorite natural eyelashes are Faux mink lashes from Ardell in 812. The packaging claims to have an invisible band and it really does. These are the perfect lashes to throw on when you are going for a very minimal makeup look. I do NOT recommend wearing these lashes if you want to do a wing only because they are so simple that they would barely be visible if you had on eyeliner. Like I said before, I recommend these lashes for a more natural look.

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My second, are actually a new pair that I have only worn a few times but immediately I loved them. They’re Lash couture faux mink Gala lashes from Kiss. I actually purchased these at HEB but I’m sure you could also purchase these online or at Wal-Mart. These, in particular, are definitely lashes that you would have to wear eyeliner with because the band is more on the thick side. A lot of people dislike thick bands because its a little more difficult to work with but they last SO much longer than falsies with thin bands. I really just loved the way they looked and felt on my eye. These have a “real hair” feel to them and that’s a big reason why I loved these.

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And last but not least my ALL TIME FAVORITE lashes: Ardell 251 mega volume lashes! These lashes are my favorite because they wear super easy, they are long and full on the eye but they aren’t too heavy, the band is just right: not too thick and not too thin, and they come curled! Also, the lashes are double layered; probably not visible in the photo but if you see them in person they resemble double wispies. I personally prefer to wear these lashes with eyeliner but you could also wear them without eyeliner depending on how big your eyes are. It’s really just your own preference.

I’m a firm believer that good makeup starts with good skin care. When your skin is on point your makeup will be on point. Skin care is so important and that’s something that I struggled with for such a long time, because of my dry and sensitive skin. I have literally the driest skin and trust me, foundation, on top of untreated dry skin looks like dragon scales. It’s pretty scary… So today I will be sharing just a few of my favorite skin care products!

I’ll start off with my favorite makeup remover: hands down my favorite way to remove makeup would be with makeup wipes, just because it’s the easiest. Although I love wipes, it’s not the best way to remove makeup. I’ve found that wipes don’t completely do it for me and I always need a little something extra to get off the tough makeup like matte lipstick or heavy eye makeup. When I need that extra help I love using coconut oil. Any coconut oil would work fine but remember this is going on your face so you should be using unrefined and organic. Another makeup remover I love to use is Klorain makeup removing water. It works great on tough makeup and doesn’t sting my eyes or irritate my skin.

Some say it’s not good to exfoliate every day but when it comes to dry skin, it’s almost necessary to exfoliate at least every-other day. I exfoliate on average 5 times a week. I have really only been using one exfoliator for months now and it’s the “Deep action exfoliating scrub” from Clean&Clear.Aside from that one, I like to make homemade natural exfoliators that I’ve seen on Pinterest or on other blogs.

When it comes to face masks I do have a favorite that I’ve been using for well over a year now – SheaMoisture coconut and hibiscus radiance mud mask. On the packaging, it says it’s for “dull skin” and that’s something that definitely goes hand-in-hand with dry skin. I use this once a week, typically on Sunday to reset my skin and get ready for a new week.

After applying my oil, I go in with my moisturizer. I have been going back and forth between two moisturizers for while now. The first is called “Confidence in a cream” by ItCosmetics. I prefer to apply this specific moisturizer at night instead of in the morning. The other moisturizer that I have been using is Clinique Dramatically different moisturizing cream. There’s also another product that I’ve been loving recently; the GlowStarter from GlamGlow. It’s an illuminating moisturizer and I use it to apply under my foundation when I’m going for a natural glowy look. This product is definitely not something I’d use every day because to me it doesn’t moisturize as much as I’d need for my skin but it does look beautiful under foundation.

Good makeup starts with good skin, these are some products that work for me and my skin type. Explore products that are going to work for you and your skin!

Welcoming all to my FDOM blog project: not only for class but also something that I’ve been wanting to start up for awhile now, my very own blog!

I’ll start off by introducing myself: My name is Raquel Flores and I’m from Greenville Texas, a city located in hunt county, about an hour from Dallas. I was born and raised in Greenville – always lived in the same home, never moved school, and generally had the same friends all my life. About a year ago I made the decision to go to college 5 hours away from my home and now I am currently a freshman at Texas State University, majoring in Mass Communication – Advertising with a minor in Marketing.

I come from a very close family that I absolutely adore and am so blessed to have. I have two older sisters, so makeup and beauty were introduced to me at an early age. There is one person in particular who introduced me and impacted my love for makeup and that would be my oldest sister, Lori. She was always the one doing her makeup and buying name brand products when I was younger and seeing all the pretty products and how pretty it made her look, really sparked my interest. Everyone has their own way of expressing themselves… some people love to bake, others have extensive shoe collections, but for me, makeup is the way that I choose to express myself. Might sound a bit cheesy but, “my face is my canvas.”

This blog will feature some of my favorite products as time goes by, reviews, skin care, hauls, makeup dupes and much more! I plan on using this blog as a way to share information, makeup inspo, and own personal opinions on different products. This blog is for anyone with an interest in makeup or beauty products; a safe space for women OR men to have a conversation about beauty and makeup. More to come so stay tuned!